Just a short post today as I might have over done it on my last post about my yarn stash. My latest knitting project is making these Cozy Coasters from Joelle Hoverson's book More Last Minute Gifts. I modified the pattern by doubling the alpaca sport weight yarn to make it thicker and upped my needle size to size 9s to make the coaster 4 1/4 inch square as opposed to her scant 3 1/4 inch square dimensions. Once you get the rhythm of the double knitting down they cruise along, BUT they take way more time then the 4 hours per pair she lists in her book. I would say it's more like 4 hours per coaster as double knitting is just very time consuming. That said, you may wonder why I would take so much time to knit such a nondescript item as a coaster. Well, I just really, really like the results: they are thick (having the 2 layers instead of one,) they are oh so soft (so my mug does not clank down on them,) I have the yarn already (and no other use for it) and I simply love the look of them. I am making 2 coasters in each color and then using the leftover yarn to knit 3 trivets which will probably be about 6 inches square or there about.
As for my latest read, I must admit I have yet to start it. My homeschooling friends and I are having a book club meeting about it in 2 weeks so I need to get reading, reading, reading. It's called Free to Learn by Peter Gray and is similar in theme to the other book titled the same by Pam Laricchia that I wrote about in my last Yarn Along post. It's about the importance of play in a child's life and how they learn best while pursuing their own interests. I am excited about it, but am so tired at the end of the day (when I usually read) that it hasn't been happening. Hopefully, I'll have more to share about it next week.
Joining in with Ginny for Yarn Along.
Great coasters. I need to look into that book.
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